GOBBLE GOBBLE: Mashed Potatoes 2.0

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, it is never complete without a heaping side of mashed potatoes. There is nothing like a bite of turkey followed by that smooth, creamy, delicious taste of mashed potatoes. I am a purist when it comes to mashed potatoes half and half some butter and finish off with a little salt and pepper action. Why fix what isn't broken right? But I do know that some of you out there may want a change this year. Here are some simple additions to kick up your mashed potatoes this year that is guaranteed to keep your taste buds satisfied.

1.) Creamy Roasted Garlic

Simply take a whole bulb (not a clove) of garlic and wrap it in some foil with some olive oil and throw it in the oven and roast at 250 degrees for about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven's settings. Definitely keep an eye on it. After it's done simply smash it up and add it to your mashed potatoes along with some heavy cream instead of milk or half and half, butter, a touch of sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that when you roast the garlic it will shrink not only in size but as well as flavor potency so you may need to roast more than one bulb to really bring out that roasted garlic flavor. I also wouldn't kiss anyone after eating this.

2.) Parmesan Cheese

After mixing in the traditional mashed potato ingredients with the exception of salt add some Parmesan cheese to your desire. This tends to work better when the mashed potatoes are nice and warm. This way the cheese will melt nicely and keep the consistency smooth (unless you prefer a little chunkiness). Taste before adding any additional salt since the cheese is already very salty on its own. Since it is Thanksgiving splurge a little and get the real stuff. It tastes so much better and you can save the rind for soups later on.

3.) Cream Cheese and Chives

With all the traditional ingredients added stir in some room temperature cream cheese and some chives. Mix well and top with more chives for garnish. With the cream cheese it isn't necessary to add butter, DO NOT USE CHIVE CREAM CHEESE I know it sounds stupid but the flavor is not the same.

4.) Caramelized Onion

This is one that I have recently made and was very surprised at how well it turned out. It is definitely for those who want to be a little ballsy. To caramelize the onions, slice them really thin and cook them over medium low hear stirring occasionally so the onions don't burn. Once the onions become translucent add some sugar (I prefer light brown sugar to really get that caramelized color and flavor). Keep cooking until your onions turn a nice brown color (NOT BURNED!!!). Afterwards add a dash of red wine or your favorite stock to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan (DO NOT COVER THE ONIONS IN LIQUID) and add the onion mixture to a blender and puree. Please be careful and let the onions cool down before putting it into the blender.It should come out in a thin paste consistency. Add the paste into your mashed potatoes.

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

Welcome back to GOBBLE GOBBLE my annual Thanksgiving recipe series. This year to kickoff the series I wanted to share with you all a delicious take on the all time traditional Thanksgiving side dish... cranberry sauce. Great with turkey, on top of ice cream or just by itself! (DISCLAIMER: Please keep in mind that some of my recipes don't have exact measurements and no worries even without the measurements these recipes are so easy you can't possibly mess it up.)

You will need

Cranberries

White granulated sugar (1 cup of sugar per 1 cup of liquid)

Orange (1 per lb of cranberries, about 1/4 of the juice)

Finely grated ginger (powered will work as well, about 2 teaspoons per 1 lb of cranberries)

A liquid of your choice (cranberry juice, apple juice, or water)

Dark rum (2 teaspoons per lb of cranberries or more if you like, for kids you can opt out of this but the alcohol will cook out so worries)

How to make:

1. Juice the orange and keep the peels

2. In a large pot combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange peels, sugar, ginger and rum

3.Pour in your choice of liquid (just make sure there is just enough to cover the ingredients do not over fill)

4. Cover and slowly simmer until the cranberries have soften and popped.

5. Continue to cook until you get a gel sauce like consistency

6. If your sauce is too thin drain some of the liquid, if too thick add more liquid and simmer 

7. Once cooled it will be ready to serve

ENJOY!!!

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GOBBLE GOBBLE Tips & Tricks for a Delicious & Easy Thanksgiving

Tip & Trick #1- BRINE THAT BIRD!!!

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Brining is an extremely popular cooking technique that treats meats especially poultry like turkey, by seeping  the meat in a brine mixture (usually just salt and cold water) it not only flavors the bird but also helps keep its moisture. It is a technique that tends to show up a lot during the holidays especially Thanksgiving. While popular it isn't a technique many people are fond of because of the extra time it takes however this one little extra step will ensure you and your family a perfectly cooked bird.

The brine in the brining process is usually just a mixture of salt and water, however over the years this has changed. Now and days people add herbs, spices, whatever they really like in order to flavor and keep their meat moist and juicy. The brining process does take some time usually 12-24 hours before the meat is cooked. To make it a bit simpler for you guys here is a quick trick: Put your turkey in a large pot or brining bag (you can get this at grocery stores) and pour in Italian Dressing, yes Italian Dressing and then poor enough cold water to cover the bird. Put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight. The next day take your bird out rinse under cold water and then pat dry with paper towels (You don't want any water on the bird before you cook it otherwise the skin won't crisp up). You can add whatever other seasonings you like to your bird at this point. Italian dressing is basically just oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices basically what you usually add to a brine so instead of getting your hands all dirty and having to buy and put in every ingredient separately, all you need is a couple bottles of Italian Dressing. It usually takes around 2 bottles of dressing for a 16 pound bird but you can adjust accordingly to your tastes.

Tip & Tricks #2- COOK/ PREPARE SIDES AHEAD OF TIME

To save you guys from stress and agony when it comes time to cooking Thanksgiving dinner this tip will sure keep you happy. Certain side dishes like cranberry sauce and pie can be cooked ahead of time and kept in the fridge for when you need it. You can also partially boil your potatoes the night before and finish cooking them the morning off. This usually saves you a good amount of time between making everything else. Another thing you can prepare are your casseroles. You can either mix the ingredients together and set aside for it to be cooked on Thanksgiving day or make and cook ahead of time and them freeze them and just heat them up when it comes time to serving. The only thing you should be stressed about is the bird and not the side dishes.

Tip & Trick #3- PREMADE IS OKAY!!!

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No matter if you are a professional chef or a home cook we always need a bit of help. There is no shame in buying dishes pre-prepared for you especially if you have a big family to serve. Stores these days can cook up a whole Thanksgiving dinner so don't fret if there are one or two things you just don't have time to make. Plan out your dinner and for the dishes you simply don't have the time to make and your relatives are just to lazy to help save yourself the stress and go to a store and just order your dishes for the people there to make. You can always pass it off as your own, I won't say anything ;)

And lastly just enjoy. As cliche as it sounds holidays are a time to get together with love ones whom we don't get to see as often due to the stress of our everyday busy busy lives. So try not to stress and make sure you end up in a food coma with a food baby at the end of the day!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Holiday Tips & Tricks #1: How NOT to OVEREAT During the Holidays

Throughout the year, we always try our best to eat healthy and not necessarily because we want to be healthier but rather an excuse to stuff ourselves on delicious holiday food. However no matter how healthy you ate throughout the year, it is never good to overstuff yourselves on any occasion. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you not to overeat but still able to enjoy the food regardless!

1.) Stuffing or Dinner Rolls

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 VS.

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PICK ONE!!! Carbs and starches make up the majority of a holiday meal. When it comes to stuffing and dinner rolls try to stick with one (I prefer stuffing). This way you can still have your other delicious starches like mash potatoes.

2.) DO LOAD UP ON THE PROTEIN

Whether you eat turkey or ham during the holidays this is one area where you do not need to fret about too much. Between the starches and desserts our blood sugar rises significantly. Do load up on the meat. The protein will help you keep your blood sugars at bay and turkey is rather a healthier meat compared to others.

3.) Portion control

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If you are the chef during the holidays you have a lot of power on your hands. Some foods like stuffing or casserole can be easily portion sized. Instead of baking the stuffing or casserole in a giant dish bake them in muffin tins. Not only you will be saving some calories you also have a cute presentation for your family and friends (not to mention the muffin tins will crisp up the edges YUM).

4.) Cranberry Sauce...

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While cranberries are full of nutrients and antioxidants cranberry sauce is LOADED with insane amounts of sugar to combat the cranberries' tartness. Instead of so much sugar cut it in half and replace the other half with fresh squeeze fruit juice like apple or orange. If you don't have fresh fruit on hand use a natural sweetener like Stevia or Truvia. Also went eating cranberry sauce, even with the replacements do limit yourself to no more than 5 tablespoons. There is still a good amount of sugar even with the substitutes.

5.) Skip the Crust

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Pies Pies Pies the ultimate holiday dessert and the most dangerous around this time of year. When possible especially if you are having pumpkin pie skip the crust and just eat the filling. You will not only have yourself a bunch of calories but let's get real the filling is always the best part!

GOBBLE GOBBLE #1- Apple Fennel Sage Stuffing

Hey Hey! Welcome back to another year of GOBBLE GOBBLE! GOBBLE GOBBLE is a series of easy and delicious DIY Thanksgiving recipes. Let's get cooking!!!

APPLE FENNEL SAGE STUFFING

This is a simple stuffing recipe that is sure to please the crowd. While it is simple don't underestimate the flavor this little dish packs. This recipe like most my recipes does not have exact measurements. Just make according to your own taste and preference and of course the amount to people you are serving.

You will need:

-Honey Crisp or Pink Lady Apples (These are not too sweet so they will hold their shape while cooking)

-1 Fennel Bulb 

- Sage (Dried or Fresh)

- French Bread (Make sure it is day old bread)

-Chicken or Veggie Stock

-Salt & Pepper to taste

-Chicken or Veggie Bouillon

-Garlic & Shallots

-Carrots & Celery

How to make:

1.) Cut up your apples, fennel, and bread to about the same size (this will ensure even cooking)

2.) In a large pot saute your garlic, shallots, carrots and celery until tender but still with a slight crunch in butter & olive oil (at this time add salt & pepper to taste and add your sage)

3.) Put in your apples and bouillon

4.) In a separate bowl put the bread in and pour the apple/fennel mixture into it and add enough stock to moisten the bread but not drench

5.) Pour stuffing in a glass oven proof dish and top with some cubes of unsalted butter and bake until the top is nice and golden

If you are a carnivore feel free to add sausage or whatever kind of protein you prefer!

GOBBLE GOBBLE: After Thanksgiving

As much as we all love Thanksgiving food leftovers can be a drag especially if they drag out for days. So this year let's skip the dry and old turkey sandwiches.

Recipe #1 Stuffing Croquettes- Great for left over stuffing, bread crumbs, and mashed potatoes

1.) In a bowl put your stuffing, bread crumbs and mashed potatoes

2.) Add a dash of Italian seasoning, hot pepper flakes (optional), white pepper and mix well

3.) In a separate bowl crack an egg and beat it till smooth, in another bowl pour your bread crumbs

4.) Form the stuffing mixture into a small patty, dip in egg, then in the bread crumbs

5.) In a frying pan put an inch of canola or vegetable oil (NO OLIVE OIL)

6.) Fry 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown

Cool and Enjoy

Recipe #2 Turkey Cranberry Salad- Great for left over Turkey, cranberries, and lettuce 

1.) With whatever turkey you have shred and heat up

2.) In a large bowl use whatever assorted greens you have on hand (I recommend a baby lettuce blend with spinach and arugula), cherry tomatoes, and cucumber

3.) Add your turkey and cranberries and tosh the salad

4.) Use either a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing or a poppy seed dressing

Recipe #3 Turkey Panini- Great for left over Turkey, cranberry sauve and gravy

1.) Slice your turkey

2.) Take a piece of bread (Any type)

3.) Spread butter on one side and chiptole mayo (you can buy this pre-made at your local grocery store)

4.) Layer turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy (Add tomatoes if you have any and a slice of cheese)

5.) Put the other slice of bread on top and butter the top

6.) Put in a panini grill or in a sauce pan with a bit of butter and olive oil and then put another heavy pan on top of the sandwich

7.) Grill for 2 minutes

Recipe #4: Cream of Turkey Vegetable Noodle Soup- Great for leftover Turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and gravy

1.) In a soup pot saute with olive oil and a tablespoon of butter an onion and 2 cloves of garlic along with any left over vegetables you have lying around

2.) Saute until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are tender

3.) Shred your turkey and add it into the pot along with gravy

4.) Add enough chicken broth till it covers your ingredients

5.) Add your noodles (Egg noodles work great in this)

6.) Add some mashed potatoes to thicken the soup

7.) Bring to a boil and let it simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes

Serve with some saltines or french bread :D

Recipe #5 Pumpkin Brownies- Great for leftover canned pumpkin

1.) Take any brownie recipe you like and instead of using oil and fat just add one can of canned pumpkin.

2.) You don't have to change any of the baking time just follow your recipe the pumpkin replaces all that fat so not only it will taste good it is also good for you :)

You can also add chocolate chips and nuts

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Mashed Sweet Potatoes

For those of you who love sweet potatoes out there then this is the recipe for you. This is inspired by my mom's recipe. I just tweaked it up a bit.

What you will need: (Feeds 6-8 people)

1 LB of Sweet Potatoes

1-2 Cups of Dark (packed) Brown Sugar- you won't need all of this just depends on your sweetness level

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon of Maple Extract (You can substitute for maple syrup but the flavor of the extract is more concentrated)

1 package of Mini Marshmallows

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 stick of Unsalted Butter

How To Make: 

1.) Butter a square baking dish and Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees

2.) Peel and boil your sweet potatoes until fork tender then in a separate bowl mash until smooth

3.) Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple extract, and 3 tablespoons of butter

4.) Put into your buttered baking dish and top the mixture with the mini marshmallows.

5.) Bake 5-10 minutes until the marshmallows are golden brown (Keep an eye on this it can burn)

Take out and enjoy!!!

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Hello again! Here is my recipe for the traditional mashed potatoes with a twist. I promise you this will be a crowd pleaser. 

What You Will Need: (This recipe feeds about 6-8 people depends on how much you love mashed potatoes)

1 Package of Powder Ranch Dressing (DO NOT USE THE LIQUID DRESSING)

1/2 Pound of Yukon Gold Potatoes (Russet Potatoes will also work if you can't get Yukon, Yukon potatoes are more buttery and creamery) 

1 Pint of Heavy Cream

1 Cup of Whole Milk (PLEASE DO NOT USE LOWFAT, SKIM ANY SORT OF "DIET" MILK IT WILL NOT TASTE THE SAME TRUST ME)

1 Stick of unsalted butter

1 whole bulb of garlic 

1 small container or sour cream (about 8oz.)

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

How To Make:
1.) Wash and peel your potatoes

2.) Boil your potatoes until fork tender (poke a fork and if it goes through and comes out clean your potatoes are done, do no overcook or undercook)

3.) While the potatoes are boiling wrap your garlic bulb in foil with some olive oil. Broil @ 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until the garlic is soft. Keep an eye on this

4.) In a sauce pan melt your stick of butter and add the milk. DO NOT BOIL you just want to warm up the milk and melt the butter

5.) Take your potatoes and mash them into chunks

6.) Add your desired amount of garlic 

7.) Add the entire packet of powdered ranch dressing, milk and butter mixture (You do not need to add all the milk and butter, depends on how smooth you want it)

8.) Mix and Stir 

9.) Add the heavy cream (Add only to your desire consistency) and sour cream (must have!!!!)

10.) Taste and add salt and pepper if desired 

ENJOY!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING :D 

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Ice Cream Pie Recipe

I personally love pumpkin pie but not everyone does especially in my family. There is a small group of us that like pumpkin pie. So every year along with pumpkin pie I also make an ice cream pie for those who are not fans of pumpkin. This pie has been a success every time I have served it to family and friends. It is really simple to make and requires very few ingredients. You can also substitute the flavors of ice cream and candies below for your favorites. BE WARNED FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING YOUR CALORIES AND FIGURE I DON'T REALLY RECOMMEND THIS.

What you need: (For one pie)

1 Pre-made Oreo Cookie Pie crust (You can usually find this in the jello and cake mix aisle, if they don't have Oreo ones graham cracker crusts work just as well)

1/2 pint of Coffee Ice Cream

1/2 pint of Chocolate Ice Cream

2 Heath Bars

1/4 cup of White Chocolate Chips (More or less depending on your taste)

1/4 cup of Semi-sweet chocolate chips (Again more or less depending on your taste)

Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

1 tub of Cool Whip Original

How to make:

Make sure your ice cream is melted at room temperature. This makes it easier to work with and won't break the crust. In a separate bowl combine your ice cream with the candies. You can either chop the candies and put them in or leave it whole. Mix well and put into pie crust. Put it in the freezer at least overnight. Before serving top the entire pie with Cool Whip. If you have any extra candies left over sprinkle them on for a fun presentation. This pie is so freaking good. I recommend making more than one. These can last in your freezer for up to 2 weeks so you can always make them ahead of time and enjoy them.

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Apple Sausage Stuffing Recipe

One of my biggest passions in life is cooking. Food is a huge part of my life and not just for the eating aspect. It is a way I can let go and express myself and the holidays are my favorite time of the entire year to cook. I normally make most of the Thanksgiving dinner in my family. This holiday season I wanted to share some of my recipes. The first one being stuffing.

This is a very easy and delicious recipe. Seriously anyone can do it. This recipe doesn't have exact measurements and it really doesn't need it. You can make as much or as little as you want. This is a taste as you cook sorta recipe and trust me it will be delicious. The recipe below usually feeds about 6+ people.

What you will need:

1 giant loaf of french bread (enough to feed how many you are feeding) TIP: Pretty much all stuffing recipes require day old bread so that the bread can absorb all the flavors. If you can't get day old bread just buy fresh bread and leave it out unwrapped the night before you make your stuffing) 

1/2 pound of mild Italian sausage or chorizo (Chorizo is a Mexican sausage that is flavored with a lot of garlic but you can use whatever type of sausage you have on hand breakfast sausage also works really well in this)

1-3 Granny Smith Apples (If you have a large apple just use one if they are smaller then use 3)

3 Celery Stalks 

1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom

1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken

4 Cups of Swanson Chicken Broth (ALWAYS have enough of chicken broth on hand especially during the holidays you may need a little more or a little less in this recipe depending on the consistency)

An assorted bunch of mushrooms (This is totally optional but I like the nice woodsy flavor it gives to the stuffing. Portobellos, shitakes, porcini, oyster, and white button mushrooms work great in this together.) TIP: Porcini mushrooms usually come dehydrated and can be a little difficult to find. If you do happen to find it just soak the mushrooms in some hot water for 5 minutes or until they plump off and reserve the liquid for the stuffing mixture

1 large or 3 small shallots (If you can't find shallots just use a vidalia or yellow onion, I personally prefer shallots since they are a bit sweeter and milder than regular onions)

2-3 Teaspoons of garlic (More or less depending your taste buds)

1/2 Tablespoons of Italian Seasoning (No brand in particular just get what you can)

1/2 Tablespoons each of dried Sage and Oregano (You can totally leave this out if you want since there is already some in the Italian seasoning I like the extra flavor)

1 stick of unsalted butter (You won't use the whole thing)

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon of parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste 

How to make:

1.) In a large bowl cut your French bread into giant cubes and set aside (Make sure the bowl is large we will be adding more stuff into it later.

2.) Dice your shallots and garlic

3.) Chop the apples and celery into bit size pieces (Make sure they are close in size to ensure even cooking) If you want mushrooms this is the time to chop them up and soak the porcinis if you have them.

4.) In a saucepan crumble up the sausage and cook along with the shallots and garlic until the sausage starts to brown.

5.) Add the Italian seasoning and herbs except the parsley, apples, and celery

6.) Add 1/2 can each of the cream of mushroom and chicken

7.) Stir well and wait until the creams start to bubble a bit and the apples and celery are cooked but still crunchy (At this point taste to see if you need any more seasoning)

8.) Take off heat and pour the contents into the bowl with the bread

9.) Stir and slowly add the chicken broth. You might not need the 4 cups you just want enough broth that the mixture is soft not smushy

10.) Butter a baking dish and pour the stuffing into it

11.) Top with little chunks of butter and breadcrumbs and cover with tin foil

12.) Bake at 350 for 15 mins or until the top is golden brown (After 10 mins take of the foil and bake for 5 more mins) 

13.) When finished take out of the oven and let it cool. Sprinkle some parsley right before serving and ENJOY! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :D